Gary B. Gray

Johnson City Medical Center’s new parking deck is on track for completion in mid-November.

The nearly 278,000-square-foot structure has now become a towering and bulging form on the southeast side of the JCMC campus. An enormous crane was at the site Friday hoisting into place 25-ton sections of what will be six interior flooring decks that will accommodate 867 parking spaces.

“We are on track, and things are going smoothly,” said Jeff Clinebell, Mountain States Health Alliance construction project manager. “It’s about 50 percent complete on the exterior concrete, and we should be done with that in late September. When that is done we’ll start on the elevators and electrical work. When we get to that point we’ll begin installing the glass at the stairwells and elevator locations.”

The parking deck’s exterior will be comprised of four different products, with the bottom “ring” being a pressed limestone product. JCMC, the flagship hospital of Mountain States Health Alliance, is undergoing a series of projects this year that will improve efficiency, update technology and make access more convenient for patients and MSHA team members.

Construction began on the largest project, the addition of a new parking deck, on Feb. 21.

The six-story parking garage will allow patients and team members better access to facilities throughout the campus, and a covered walkway will allow access to the main hospital building.

“The current parking lot is located south of the 408 Medical Building which has more than 200 spaces,”Clinebell said.“Additional parking during construction is available on the opposite side of State of Franklin Road, and shuttle buses will run to ensure that team members get safely from their cars to work.”

He said MSHA purchased two new vans to use for the shuttle service. One carries 22 people; the other holds 15. They are being used both for team members and construction workers.

The new deck also will include 15 handicapped accessible spaces. Charlotte-based architect Carl Walker Parking Engineering has designed the deck, and Nashville’s Skanska Construction is the general contractor.

Skanska also was the general contractor for the construction of Franklin Woods Community Hospital.